Dedicated media devices that can play content obtained from a network are becoming increasingly popular. When a desired media file is located by a user of the media device, the media file can be downloaded or streamed to the media device. For example, the user can use a search engine to locate the media file. However, using a search engine on a media device may be cumbersome. For example, on a portable media device, the portable media device may only include a few buttons or a touch-screen display. Although the portable media device may include an on-screen keyboard, selecting individual letters to form search queries can be cumbersome. Similarly, on a set-top box for a television, the only input device may be a remote controller, which also includes a limited set of buttons. Therefore, it is desirable to have an easy way to perform a media search on a device with limited input functionality.
Furthermore, a user of a media device may not know whether a given content source (e.g., a home network server, a portable media player, etc.) includes media file types (e.g., MP3 files, WMA files, etc.) for which the user is searching. Moreover, presently, multiple standalone applications, each with their own user interface, must be used to search for content. Thus, what is needed for media devices that are typically operated without the aid of fully functional input devices (e.g., keyboard, mouse, etc.) is a system that allows integrated searching of multiple sources using a single unified interface.